The province of Quebec in Canada has become the epicenter of a series of forest fires that are devastating much of the region. The situation is so critical that international reinforcements are expected to arrive to fight the blaze, while smoke from the 150 active fires is already reaching the United States.
The White House has called this event another troubling sign of how the climate crisis is affecting our lives. Quebec is experiencing unprecedented fires, surpassing previous records in the province. Currently, there are 150 active fires, of which approximately one hundred are out of control. No significant rainfall is forecast until next Monday night.
The Premier of Quebec, François Legault, has mentioned that with the available resources, they can only attend about 40 fires simultaneously, which leaves a considerable deficit in the face of the 150 active fires. Therefore, hundreds of people have been mobilized, and 1,200 international firefighters, including those from France, are expected to help.
The crisis has also severely impacted the northeastern United States, where visibility has been affected due to smoke. The Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyscrapers are shrouded in an orange and brown haze, and air quality alerts have been issued in the region. President Joe Biden has offered additional support to Canada to combat these historic and devastating fires.
More than 20,000 Canadians have been evacuated, and authorities are preparing to relocate another 4,000. The number of acres burned is also exceptional for this time of year. Canada has experienced an unprecedented year in terms of wildfires, with more than 2,200 recorded and almost 3.8 million hectares affected, figures well above the average of recent decades.
Climate change has contributed to the increase in extreme weather events in Canada due to its geographic location. The country is warming faster than the rest of the planet, which has aggravated the intensity and frequency of these natural disasters.